A portable computing device typically has an integrated display device to display images, graphics, and text. Many portable computing and integrated display devices are powered from a battery source included with the computing device. One issue that users of portable computers are particularly concerned with is battery life. The more battery power that can be conserved, the longer a portable computer can used, particularly when alternative power sources may not be available, such as on an airplane.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional portable computer 100 having a housing base 102 and a housing top 104. Housing base 102 and housing top 104 are coupled together via a hinge or other flexible joint (not shown) to permit housing top 104 to fold down over housing base 102. A keyboard assembly 106 is mounted within housing base 102 and a graphical display 108 is mounted within housing top 104.
Portable computer 100 includes a push-button 110 to turn the computer on and off. Additionally, computer 100 includes an operating system shutdown control 112 that is displayed on graphical display 108. When the shutdown control 112 is selected, such as with a mouse or other pointing device, the operating system and any other processes running on computer 100 are shut down to a point at which it is safe to turn off the power to computer 100, such as with push-button 110. Typically, an operating system shutdown process can also turn off the power to computer 100 if the system supports a power-off feature.
When the operating system shutdown control 112 is selected, the operating system typically generates an informational message 114 that is displayed on graphical display 108 to indicate to a user that the operating system is performing a shutdown of computer 100. Graphical display 108 consumes batter power to display such messages when computer 100 is operating on battery power. Although informative, such messages typically do not convey user interaction instructions, and shutting down computer 100 does not require any other user interaction other than selecting the operating system shutdown control 112. Accordingly, the battery power that is used to power graphical display 108 to display message 114 can be conserved.
The following description discusses systems and methods for saving power utilized by a display device when a process is initiated to shut down a portable electronic or computing device.